Wandering Mind
by bookworm383
Summary: Young Perseus Jackson saw a Cyclops. He couldn't help being curious.


**Disclaimer: Hello everyone, I know it's been a long time, and after I promise I will get back to** ** _The Secret of Life,_** **but right now I want to enter this oneshot in for a competition that has recently reached my radar. Please leave some comments, I would love feedback!**

 **I do not own Percy Jackson but I am a huge fan. Thank you and enjoy!**

In preschool, Percy was never allowed to do anything he wanted. At home, even though he had Smelly Gabe, at least he was free to do a lot more than he was here. In school, you were never allowed to play with toys as long as you wanted. Instead we had to focus on the alphabet, which didn't even make any sense to him. After all, he was pretty sure that Z came before D in the alphabet, but when he tried to correct his teacher he was sent to the corner to 'think about what he's done'.

Percy scoffed now as he ran outside with the rest of his classmates. _Freedom at last,_ he thought as the wind whipped his hair out of his face and the smell of New York garbage became less apparent to his nose _._ He sped towards the monkey bars, which everyone knew was his and his alone after the Mark Sciffen incident (he asked nicely for him to move first, he had no choice), and so it was happily all to himself.

He rested on top of the monkey bars after going a few rounds on it to stay fit (his mom said he needed it after all the blue candy he ate), and surveyed the area as though it was his kingdom as he always did. Up close with the rest of the kids, they got too noisy or too annoying. From here, everything seemed a bit less chaotic. Everyone, even he, ADHD Percy Jackson, needed a break from chaos. This, as his teacher would say, was his 'happy place'.

As Percy looked around, he saw a disturbance in his kingdom. There was a man in a suit standing right behind the fences, staring straight at him. He wasn't one of the parents, surely, or else Percy would have noticed him. The guy had to be at least 7 feet tall. Not to mention his one eye, in the center of his forehead. If he squinted, Percy was almost certain that the strange man had scaly skin, like the snake he strangled as a baby.

For the first time since the beginning of the school year, Percy got off his monkey bars. A few kids looked at him curiously but returned to their activities. They knew it wasn't wise to go anywhere near the thing at any time. Percy Jackson had eyes in the back of his head and he most definitely was not afraid to let them know.

Percy walked up towards the man who continued to stare at him even when he came to a stop right in front of him. They stared each other down for a second, until Percy finally broke the silence.

"What happened to your other eye?"

The man gave him a strange look. "What do you mean?"

Percy repeated his question impatiently. "What happened to your other eye? Everyone is born with two."

The strange man finally seemed to get it. He let out a low chuckle and gave Percy a soft look. "Not everyone, child. For people like me, it is normal to have one eye."

Percy became more curious and felt inclined to ask another question, for the universe's sake. "Where do people like you come from?"

The strange man smiled. He obviously liked his home. _Lucky him_ , Percy thought a little bitterly, though he felt guilty right after. "My people live in a land far at sea."

Far at sea! That's where her mother said his father was! "Have you ever met my daddy?"

Before he was able to answer, the shout of Percy's teacher entered their ears. They both turned to see a furious middle-aged woman stalking towards them with glue all over her face

"Perseus Jackson!"

Percy turned back, eager to hear the man's answer. The man only smiled sadly at him "One day you'll know all about your father, Perseus, and everything will make sense. I promise, as I am Elpis, Head Cyclops of Poseidon's army."

"I'm Percy," he simply replied.

The 'Cyclops' laughed as Percy was dragged away by his teacher who was muttering about calling his stepfather. _Well,_ Percy thought, _at least I can play more with my toys._ With that thought, he followed his teacher with a bit less of a fuss, and waved goodbye to the man with one eye.

When Percy went home after walking, no thanks to Smelly Gabe, he fell asleep immediately. He was completely exhausted after walking for thirty minutes trying to get back to his apartment. Percy expected himself to dream of blue ice cream and playground domination as he usually did, but today his dream was different.

Percy was in some sort of camp. There was lush green grass everywhere and pretty girls surrounding trees. The second Percy blinked the girls were gone, seemingly disappearing into the woods. When he turned he saw people in orange shirts, boys and girls who appeared to be teenagers, walking around and mingling like they usually do in New York. Except there was a distinct difference.

Everyone here seemed to be stronger, lean and subtly strong or as massive as a wrestler. Oh, and they were also carrying weapons. Can't forget that tiny, miniscule fact.

Percy continued to take in the place in awe. He had never heard of a summer camp like this before. Where did he sign up?

A horn sounded from behind him. Percy whirled around and was amazed, excited and slightly disturbed. The sight that greeted him was a man horse. Or a horse man, whatever. Anyway the strange person had the upper body of a well muscled thirty something man and from torso down was a horse. His hair was the color of chocolate (the normal one, not the blue one) with the slightest bit of white in it. He smiled a bright smile to the campers.

"It's time for Capture the Flag!" The man horse/horse man yelled. The campers yelled and started running towards the forest weapons raised. The horse man surveyed the campers until his gaze landed on Percy himself. Percy waved at him, jumping up and down in excitement. The man horse looked surprised, but waved back hesitantly before the scene disappeared.

Next thing Percy knew, he was at the bottom of the sea. It was how he imagined the sea in his head, little mermaid style. The sunrays glistened through the water giving it the mystical vibe. There was coral and all sorts of sea plants Percy didn't know of all over the place. Percy half expected the fish to break into the song 'Under The Sea'. Which didn't happen, but they did start talking to him.

 _Hello, my lord,_ they would say as they scurried their slimy little bodies through the sea. Yep, exactly like the little mermaid.

Suddenly the fishes parted to reveal a man fish. Apparently there would be many half-men in this dream. He looked youngish and had sea green eyes, just like him. When they made eye contact it seemed as if time became still. For the first time in his life, Percy was not really sure what to do and as a result, became perfectly still.

For the rare time of stillness in Percy's life he began to study the strange fish man. He had a black ink like hair and tan skin, probably the result of spending all day in the ocean. There were wrinkles around his mouth, but not the type you would get by frowning, they were smile lines. The man oozed an easy going aura. Percy liked him after just looking at him, which was a miracle because Percy didn't like just anybody. The man should be honored to be liked by him, with his majestic fishtail and all.

The fish man smiled at him and at the moment Percy had a revelation. This man had to be his father.

 _He's not dead. Lost at sea._

Before Percy could talk to him, he was dragged to yet another place, except this time he landed right in front of a blonde girl. She was his age, and she seemed to be crying. She was dressed in tattered clothes was sitting beside a garbage can behind a restaurant.

Percy didn't usually like girls. They had cooties and always assumed they were better than everyone else, but Percy couldn't help but feel sorry for this one. He sat next to her and touched her hand.

"Are you ok?" He asked. The girl jerked away from him, startled. She started to back away from him which only caused Percy to pursue her. She continued to back away only her back hit the trash can and Percy was as close as he would allow himeself to get to her.

"Are you _ok_?" Percy asked again, beginning to become seriously concerned. The girl did not appear as if she was in the right state. But she nodded and smiled at him slightly as if to say 'I'm fine'. He smiled, relieved. There was no way to tell what could have happened if she said no. Percy was sure he would have done something stupid like give her a hug, and that would most likely pass the girl's cooties onto him.

"I'm Percy by the way," he said after remembering how weird it must be for a stranger to randomly appear before you.

The blonde girl smiled at him, and for a split second Percy thought the girl looked pretty, but quickly dismissed the thought. All of those thoughts and the feelings that came with it were not good for his health.

"I'm Annabeth."

Before Percy could compliment the name (he had never heard one quite like it before) he was shaken awake.

The scene faded from his brain and Percy jolted up, nearly nailing his mom in the face. She moved quickly out of the way (her reflexes were honed) and caught Percy mid-way through motion. She shook him, getting rid if that extra, nervous energy that remained after the most bizarre dream of his life. His mom wiped the sweat of his forehead. Only then did Percy realize that he was back in reality.

After that he sprung what happened at school on his mom, then started to tell her about his dream. Smelly Gabe might have called a few times for some dip but mother and son ignored in favor of the bizarre story.

Later Sally Jackson looked out the widow of her apartment with a forlorn look on her face. The time is drawing closer and closer for her son to join the godly part of his family. The time is drawing closer for him to know his father.

Sally couldn't help but worry.

Far in the depths the ocean, all the fish swam anxiously, feeling their Lord's mood.

 _Not dead, lost at sea._

ave you ever met my


End file.
